Canon TS9540, TS9550, and TS9551C Print Misaligned: Double Text, Uneven Lines, and Shifted Colors

Last Updated on 18.07.2026 by DriverNew

On printouts from Canon TS9500 Series printers, vertical lines may appear stepped or doubled. Letters may have a shadow, colored outlines may be shifted relative to the image, and table lines may not align correctly.

In most cases, this problem can be corrected by aligning the print head. However, you should first check the nozzles, paper, and print quality settings. If lines are missing from the nozzle check pattern, alignment is not a substitute for print head cleaning.

This guide applies to the following models:

• Canon PIXMA TS9540;
• Canon PIXMA TS9540A;
• Canon PIXMA TS9541C;
• Canon PIXMA TS9550;
• Canon PIXMA TS9550A;
• Canon PIXMA TS9551C;
• Canon PIXMA TS9551CA.

All the models listed above belong to the Canon TS9500 series and use the same basic automatic and manual print head alignment procedures.

Symptoms of Incorrect Alignment

Alignment may be required if:

• vertical table lines print unevenly;
• straight lines appear stepped;
• letters have a second outline or shadow;
• black text appears doubled;
• a colored outline is shifted relative to the black outline;
• thin lines have breaks where the print head passes;
• the edges of colored objects do not align;
• barcodes and small characters appear blurred;
• lines became uneven after the printer was transported;
• automatic alignment previously ended with an error.

How to Identify the Cause

Before performing maintenance, complete several simple tests.

Test 1: Print Text from Notepad

1. Open Notepad.
2. Enter several lines of text.
3. Add the following characters:

   ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
   ==============================
   ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
   0123456789

4. Print the page on A4 plain paper.

If the vertical lines and characters have a second outline, perform a nozzle check and print head alignment.

Test 2: Make a Copy Without a Computer

1. Place a document containing a table on the scanner glass.
2. On the touchscreen, select Copy.
3. Tap Black.

If lines and text also appear doubled when copying, the problem is in the printer rather than the Windows driver.

If the copy looks normal but documents from the computer print incorrectly, check the print quality, driver, and source file.

Test 3: Check Scanning

If a line appears crooked only in the scanned image while printed lines are straight, print head alignment is not required.

In this case, check:

• the position of the original on the scanner glass;
• the ADF document guides;
• the cleanliness of the main scanner glass and the narrow ADF scanning glass;
• document feeding through the ADF;
• slant correction in IJ Scan Utility.

Step 1: Check the Ink Tanks

If an ink tank is low, the alignment sheet may not print correctly.

1. Turn on the printer.
2. Wait for the Home screen to appear.
3. Open the ink information screen.
4. Check the status of all ink tanks.

If one of the ink tanks is empty, replace it before performing alignment.

If the ink runs out while the alignment sheet is being printed, an error message will appear on the touchscreen.

Step 2: Print a Nozzle Check Pattern

Prepare the Paper

1. Take one sheet of A4 or Letter-sized plain white paper.
2. Load it in the front cassette.
3. Insert the cassette back into the printer.
4. On the touchscreen, specify A4 or Letter as the paper size.
5. Select Plain paper as the paper type.
6. Open the operation panel.
7. Extend the paper output tray.

Start the Nozzle Check

1. On the Home screen, select Setup.
2. Open Maintenance.
3. Select Print nozzle check pattern.
4. Confirm printing.
5. Wait for the sheet to be printed.

Evaluate the Result

If the pattern:

• has missing lines;
• contains white horizontal streaks;
• prints one color only partially;
• is completely missing one color;

perform standard print head cleaning first.

If the nozzle check pattern prints completely but the grids, lines, or colored edges are shifted, proceed to automatic alignment.

Automatic Print Head Alignment

Automatic alignment is the main method. It is usually sufficient to correct double outlines and uneven lines.

You will need:

2 sheets of A4 or Letter-sized plain white paper

Step 1: Load the Paper

1. Pull the front cassette completely out.
2. Load two clean sheets of A4 or Letter-sized plain paper.
3. The print side must face down.
4. Move the paper guides against the edges of the paper.
5. Insert the cassette back into the printer.
6. On the touchscreen, confirm A4 or Letter as the paper size.
7. Select Plain paper as the paper type.
8. Open the operation panel.
9. Fully extend the paper output tray.

Step 2: Start Automatic Alignment

1. On the Home screen, tap Setup.
2. Select Maintenance.
3. Select Print Head Alignment – Auto.
4. Read the message on the screen.
5. Select Yes.

The printer will print the sheets and automatically adjust the print head position.

The procedure takes approximately 3–4 minutes.

During alignment:

• do not turn off the printer;
• do not unplug the power cord;
• do not open the scanning unit / cover;
• do not pull out the sheets manually;
• do not send other print jobs;
• do not replace the ink tanks.

6. When the completion message appears, tap OK.
7. Print a test page containing text and straight lines.

If Automatic Alignment Ends with an Error

Check:

• whether two sheets are loaded;
• whether the paper is loaded in the cassette;
• whether A4 or Letter is selected;
• whether Plain paper is selected;
• whether any ink tanks are empty;
• whether the nozzle check pattern has missing areas;
• whether the paper is dirty;
• whether the paper output tray is fully extended;
• whether a support code is displayed on the touchscreen.

Use clean white paper. Do not use colored, ruled, wrinkled, or previously printed sheets.

After resolving the cause, repeat automatic alignment once.

If Automatic Alignment Does Not Help

First, make sure:

1. the nozzle check pattern prints correctly;
2. flat plain paper is being used;
3. the correct media type is selected in the driver;
4. the problem occurs in different applications;
5. double text is also visible when copying.

If the lines remain uneven, perform manual alignment.

Manual Print Head Alignment

Manual mode is used after automatic alignment if the result remains unsatisfactory.

You will need:

3 sheets of A4 or Letter-sized plain white paper

Step 1: Prepare the Paper

1. Pull the cassette completely out.
2. Load three sheets of plain white paper.
3. Insert the cassette back into the printer.
4. Confirm A4 or Letter as the paper size.
5. Select Plain paper as the paper type.
6. Open the operation panel.
7. Extend the paper output tray.

Step 2: Start Manual Alignment

1. On the Home screen, select Setup.
2. Open Maintenance.
3. Select Print Head Alignment – Manual.
4. Read the message.
5. Select Yes.

The printer will print the first set of patterns.

6. When the printer asks whether the patterns printed correctly, inspect the sheet.
7. If the sheet printed completely, select Yes.
8. Tap Next.

Step 3: Select the Best Patterns

The sheet contains groups of patterns identified by letters. Each group includes several numbered variations.

1. Start with group A.
2. Find the pattern in which vertical streaks or unevenness are least noticeable.
3. Tap the letter A on the touchscreen.
4. Enter the number of the selected pattern.
5. Select values for the remaining groups in the same way.
6. Tap OK or Next.

The printer may then print another set of patterns. Continue selecting the pattern with the least visible streaking and the most even fill.

Step 4: Complete the Adjustment

1. Enter values for all the displayed groups.
2. Confirm the adjustment.
3. Wait for the completion message.
4. Tap OK.
5. Print a test page.

How to Check the Current Alignment Values

You can print the current print head position adjustment values from the manual alignment menu.

1. Open Setup → Maintenance.
2. Select Print Head Alignment – Manual.
3. Select Print the head alignment value.
4. Confirm printing.

This function is useful for checking the saved settings, but it does not perform a new alignment.

Alignment Through Windows

You can start the procedure from Canon IJ Printer Assistant Tool.

Open IJ Printer Assistant Tool

1. Open the Start menu.
2. Find the Canon Utilities folder.
3. Start IJ Printer Assistant Tool.
4. Select Canon TS9500 series.

If the application is missing, install the complete Canon MP Drivers package.

Automatic Alignment Through Windows

1. Load two sheets of A4 or Letter-sized plain paper in the cassette.
2. In IJ Printer Assistant Tool, click Print Head Alignment.
3. Check the application message.
4. Click Start.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions.
6. Do not open the cover while the sheets are being printed.
7. Wait for the procedure to finish.

Enable Manual Mode Through Windows

1. Open IJ Printer Assistant Tool.
2. Click Custom Settings.
3. Select Align heads manually.
4. Click OK or Send.
5. Return to the main utility window.
6. Click Print Head Alignment.
7. Load three sheets of A4 or Letter-sized paper in the cassette.
8. Click Start.
9. Select the pattern numbers by following the application’s messages.

If these options are missing or the window contains only standard Windows settings, check whether the Canon driver is being used.

If IJ Printer Assistant Tool Is Missing

Download the complete driver:

Download Canon TS9500 Series MP Drivers Ver. 1.06

File name:

md__-win-ts9500-1_06-ea34_2.exe

For a USB connection, disconnect the cable before starting the installation and reconnect it only after the installer displays a prompt.

You do not have to reinstall the driver to perform alignment because all required operations are available on the printer’s touchscreen.

Increase the Print Quality

If alignment has been completed but thin lines still do not look straight enough, increase the print quality.

1. Open the document.
2. Select File → Print.
3. Select Canon TS9500 series.
4. Open Printer properties or Preferences.
5. Find the Print Quality setting.
6. Instead of Fast or Draft, select Standard.
7. For precise lines, select High.
8. Click OK.
9. Print the document again.

High-quality printing reduces printing speed and increases ink consumption.

Check the Paper Type

An incorrect media type may change how the print head moves and how much ink is applied.

1. Open the printer properties.
2. Find the Media Type setting.
3. Select the paper that is actually loaded.

For standard documents, select:

Plain Paper

Do not select photo paper when printing text on standard office paper.

Check the Condition of the Paper

Even correct alignment will not produce a good result if the paper feeds at an angle.

Do not use:

• damp paper;
• severely curled paper;
• sheets with folded corners;
• wrinkled paper;
• different paper sizes in the same stack;
• sheets that are stuck together.

For testing, print the document on new A4 plain paper.

If Lines Are Crooked Only When Printing from One Application

Check:

• the document scale;
• the page size;
• the image printing mode;
• the PDF export quality;
• the resolution of the source image;
• whether transparent or overlapping objects are present.

Print the same file from another application. If the problem disappears, the printer and alignment are working correctly.

If Double Text Is Visible Only in “Fast” Mode

Fast mode uses fewer print head passes. Minor deviations become more noticeable.

1. Open the printer properties.
2. Change the print quality from Fast to Standard.
3. Print the document again.

If the text looks correct in Standard mode, a hardware fault is unlikely.

If Colored Outlines Are Shifted

Perform the following steps in order:

1. Check the level of all ink tanks.
2. Print a nozzle check pattern.
3. If gaps are present, perform cleaning.
4. Perform automatic alignment.
5. If necessary, perform manual alignment.
6. Select Standard or High print quality.
7. Test printing from another application.

If one color is completely missing, resolve the ink delivery problem for that color first. Alignment cannot correctly use a color that is not printing.

If the Vertical Lines Are Tilted as a Whole

If the entire table or image is printed at an angle relative to the edge of the sheet, the cause may be related to paper feeding rather than print head position.

Check:

• whether the paper guides touch the paper correctly;
• whether the cassette is installed correctly;
• whether the stack is aligned evenly;
• whether the paper feed rollers are dirty;
• whether the sheet feeds at an angle;
• whether a scrap of paper is stuck inside.

If the sheet physically exits the printer at an angle, print head alignment will not resolve the problem.

If Lines Are Distorted Only Near the Edges of the Sheet

Check:

• whether the paper size matches the settings;
• whether borderless printing is enabled;
• whether the image extension amount is too high;
• whether the paper edges are curled;
• whether the correct media type is selected.

During borderless printing, the image is enlarged slightly and extends beyond the edges of the sheet. Therefore, the edge of a photo may look different from the center.

If the Problem Appeared After Transporting the Printer

1. Place the printer on a firm, level surface.
2. Check that all shipping tape has been removed.
3. Check that the ink tanks are installed correctly.
4. Print a nozzle check pattern.
5. Perform automatic alignment.
6. Check the test page.

If the carriage moves noisily after transport, support code 5100 appears, or the lines remain severely misaligned after manual alignment, contact a service center.

How Often Alignment Should Be Performed

Alignment is not required before every print job.

Perform it:

• when double or uneven lines appear;
• when colored outlines are visibly shifted;
• after an unsuccessful automatic alignment;
• after transporting the printer if print quality has changed;
• when recommended by Canon or a service center.

Do not perform automatic and manual alignment repeatedly if the result does not change. This consumes paper and ink but does not resolve mechanical damage.

When the Problem Is Mechanical

A mechanical fault may be present if:

• manual alignment cannot be completed;
• the patterns differ significantly from one row to another;
• the carriage moves in jerks;
• a grinding noise can be heard during printing;
• support code 5100 appears;
• the sheet feeds at an angle;
• the distortion changes on every page;
• automatic alignment always ends with an error;
• the result does not change after manual alignment.

When to Contact a Service Center

Contact a service center if:

• the nozzle check pattern is correct, but the lines remain severely doubled;
• automatic and manual alignment did not help;
• the printer cannot print the alignment sheet;
• the procedure is interrupted every time;
• the carriage moves in jerks or makes a loud noise;
• support code 5100 or another hardware code appears;
• the sheet continuously feeds at an angle;
• the problem appeared after the printer was dropped;
• the internal positioning strip is damaged or dirty;
• colored outlines remain severely shifted after maintenance.

Do not attempt to wipe or tighten the internal positioning strip yourself. Damage to this strip may cause the print head to move incorrectly.